Practice golf club



May 16, 1967 w. F. STEINBERG PRACTICE GOLF CLUB 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 4, 1964 INVENTOR. WILLIAM F. STEINBERG Mai! ATTORNEYS May 16, 1967 w. F. STEINBERG PRACTICE GOLF CLUB 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1964 INVENTOR. WlLLlAM F. STEINBERG I W WTTO RN EYS United States Patent )fiice 3,319,964 Patented May 16, 1967 3,319,964 PRACTICE GOLF CLUB William F. Steinberg, 25824 Dundee, Huntington Woods, Mich. 48070 Filed May 4, 1964, Ser. No. 364,401 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-194) This invention relates generally to an attachment for a golf club and refers more particularly to an elongated wheeled device that can be pivotally attached substantially midway its ends directly to the blade of a golf putter when it is desired to practice putting strokes upon a carpet within a home or upon a putting green, and that can be readily removed from the golf putter when it is desired to use the latter on a golf course.

One of the essential objects of the invention is to provide a wheeled attachment of the type mentioned capable of teaching a person to properly and accurately align and swing the putter, so that such person will develop a correct putting stroke.

Another object is to provide a wheeled attachment of the type mentioned capable of teaching a person to develop low to the ground straight putting strokes.

Another object is to provide a wheeled elongated attachment that is pivotally connected directly to the blade of the putter at a point substantially midway opposite ends of both the attachment and the blade by means of a single horizontally extending fastening element which enables opposite ends of the attachment to swing freely vertically relative to the blade of the putter to compensate for changes in contour of the surface upon which the attachment is used.

Another object is to provide a wheeled attachment comprising a horizontally extending elongated member attachable as aforesaid to the blade of the putter, a horizontal rotatable shaft extending lengthwise through and journaled in said elongated member, and wheels at opposite ends of and rigid with said shaft.

Another object is to provide a wheeled attachment wherein the wheels have a press fit on the shaft so that they rotate in unison with the shaft and thereby cause the attachment and the blade of the putter to travel in a straight line when making a stroke with the putter.

Another object is to provide a wheeled attachment which can be alternatively pivotally attached to the blade of the putter in either of two vertically spaced positions by the single fastening element aforesaid, whereby such attachment may be alternatively used on a carpet Within a home or upon a putting green.

Another object is to provide a wheeled attachment wherein the pivotal connection between the attachment and the blade of the putter is so designed that it will allow for variations in the height and stance of the person using the attachment.

Another object is to provide a wheeled attachment which can be turned upside down and can be pivotally attached to the blade of the putter by the single fastening element.

Another object is to provide a wheeled attachment where in the shaft for the wheels may be alternatively positioned below or above the single fastening element to vary the spacing of the blade of the putter from the carpet within a home or from a putting green, depending upon whether the attachment is turned upside down.

Another object is to provide a Wheeled attachment wherein the blade of the putter is provided with two vertically spaced holes for alternatively receiving the single fastening element when the attachment is pivotally attached to such blade in either of said two positions.

Another object is to provide a wheeled attachment that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and eflicient in use.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a putter and showing my attachment applied to the rear side of the blade of the putter.

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of a putter and showing my attachment pivotally connected to the blade of the putter substantially midway the ends thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan View of the construction illustrated in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional View through the putter and attachment, and showing the vertical web of the attachment in uppermost position and connected to the uppermost hole in the blade of the putter by the single fastening element.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view through the putter and attachment, and showing the vertical web of the attachment in lowermost position and connected to the lowermost hole in the blade of the putter by the single fastening element.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the attachment and the blade of the putter and showing the vertical web of the attachment in uppermost position and connected to the uppermost hole in the blade of the putter by the single fastening element.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view through one of the supporting wheels of the attachment and showing the hub of such wheel having a press fit on the rotatable shaft at one end thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, A is a golf club such as a putter, B is a wheeled elongated attachment therefor, and C is a single fastening element for pivotally connecting the attachment B to the putter A.

As shown, the putter A has a horizontally extending elongated substantially vertically disposed blade 10, and has adjacent one end of said blade an upwardly inclined shaft '11 by which the blade 10 may be manipulated.

The wheeled attachment B preferably comprises a horizontally extending elongated member 12 of substantially L cross section provided throughout its length with a body portion 13 and a vertical web 14 which are in a common vertical plane, a horizontal rotatable shaft 15 extending lengthwise through and beyond opposite ends of the body portion 13 of said elongated member, and wheels 16 and 17 respectively at opposite ends of and having a press fit on said shaft 15.

Preferably, the elongated member 12 is an aluminum extrusion, the shaft 15 is formed from steel, and the wheels 16 and 17 are alike, and each has a hub 18 formed from nylon, and a solid rubber tire 19 mounted on said hub. As shown, the hub 18 is provided at opposite sides thereof with peripheral flanges 20 and 21 respectively, between which a reduced annular portion 22 of the tire is received.

The elongated wheeled attachment B is pivotally connected to the blade 10 of the putter at a point substantially midway opposite ends of both the attachment B and the blade 10 by means of the single horizontally extending fastening element C which enables opposite ends of the attachment to swing freely vertically relative to the blade 10 of the putter to compensate for changes in contour of the surface upon which the attachment is used.

In the present instance, the wheeled attachment B can be turned upside down and can be alternatively pivotally attached to the blade 10 of the putter in either of two vertically spaced positions by the single fastening element C, whereby such attachment may be alternatively used on a carpet within a home or upon a putting green.

Thus, with my construction, the shaft 15 for the wheels 16 and 17 may be alternatively positioned below or above the single fastening element C to vary the spacing of the blade of the putter from the carpet within a home or from a putting green, depending upon whether the attachment is turned upside down.

As shown, the blade 10 of the putter is provided substantially midway opposite ends thereof with two vertically spaced interiorly threaded holes 23 and 24 respectively for alternatively receiving the single fastening element C when it is desired to pivotally attach the attachment B to such blade 10 in either of said two positions. Also, the vertical web 14 of the elongated member .12 of substantially L cross section is provided substantially midway opposite ends thereof with a single cylindrical hole 25 that is adapted to register alternatively with such holes 23 and 24.

Specifically, the single fastening element C comprises a screw 26 having an exteriorly threaded shank 27 alternatively engageable with the vertically spaced interiorly threaded holes 23 and 24 in the blade 10 of the putter, an integral enlarged cylindrical portion 28 at the outer end of said threaded shank 27 pivotally engageable with the single cylindrical hole 25 in the vertical web 14 of the elongated member, and an integral circular head 29 at the outer end of said enlarged portion 28 engageable with the outer surface of the vertical web 14 of the elongated member and provided in its outer surface with a diameterically extending slot 30 which may be engaged by a screw driver or the like (not shown).

Preferably, a spacer or washer 31 formed from nylon is sleeved on the enlarged portion 28 of the screw 26 between the vertical web 14 of the elongated member and the blade 10 of the putter to space the elongated member 12 slightly from the blade 10 of the putter and to enable the opposite ends of the wheeled attachment B to swing freely vertically about the fastening element C relative to the blade 10 of the putter.

In use, the fastening element C for the wheeled attachment B may extend through the single hole 25 in the vertical web 14 of the elongated member 12 and may be secured in the upper hole 23 in the blade 10 of the putter, so that the shaft may be positioned below such fastening element C when it is desired to practice putting upon a carpet within a home, or the wheeled attachment B may be turned upside down relative to the blade 10 of the putter, so that the fastening element C for the Wheeled attachment B may extend through the single hole 25 in the vertical web 14 of the elongated member and may be secured in the lower hole 24 in the blade 10 of the putter, so that the shaft 15 may be positioned above such fastening element C when it is desired to practice putting on a putting green. Thus, the attachment B can be alternatively pivotally attached to the blade 10 of the putter in either of two vertically spaced positions by the single fastening element C. Accordingly, the blade 10 of the putter may be positioned at a higher point when it is desired to practice putting on a carpet within a home, or may be positioned at a lower point when it is desired to practice putting on a putting green.

Also, the wheeled attachment B can be readily removed from the blade 10 of the putter by merely removing the fastening element C from such blade when it is desired to use the putter on a golf course.

Such wheeled attachment B is capable of teaching a person to properly and accurately align and swing the putter so that such person will develop a correct putting stroke. This is accomplished without any auxiliary guiding means such as a track for the wheels of the attachment. In this connection, the wheels 16 and 17 of the attachment have a press fit on the shaft 15 so that they rotate in unison with the shaft and thereby cause the attachment B and the blade 10 of the putter to travel in a straight line when making a stroke with the putter.

Thus one wheel cannot travel at a greater speed than the other. Likewise, the wheeled attachment B is capable of teaching a person to develop low to the ground straight putting strokes. Also, the pivotal connection C between the attachment B and the blade 10 of the putter is so designed that it enables opposite ends of the attachment B to swing freely vertically relative to the blade of the putter to compensate for changes in contour of the surface upon which the attachment is used. Such pivotal connection C will also allow for variations in the height and stance of the person using the attachment B.

Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination, a golf club having a blade, 3. horizontal elongated member extending substantially parallel and contiguous to said blade, a horizontal shaft extending through and beyond opposite ends of said elongated member, said shaft being rotatably mounted in said member, a supporting wheel on and at each end of said shaft, said blade and said member each having a horizontally extending cylindrical aperture between its ends, means for connecting said member to said blade comprising a pin passing through the aperture in said member and having a first portion removably secured in the aperture in said blade, said pin having a second cylindrical portion extending axially from said first portion, said second portion having a diameter greater than that of said first portion and cooperating with the aperture in said member to form a bearing whereby pivotal movement of said member with respect to said blade is permitted, and .means for holding said member on said bearing.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said first portion is threaded into said blade.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 in which said first portion is threaded into said blade midway between the ends of said blade.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said wheels are fast on said shaft.

5. In combination, a golf club having a blade, a horizontal elongated member extending substantially parallel and contiguous to said blade, a horizontal shaft extending through and beyond opposite ends of said elongated member, said shaft being rotatably mounted in said member, a supporting wheel on and at each end of said shaft, said member having a cylindrical aperture between its ends, means for connecting said member to said blade comprising a pin passing through the aperture in said member, said blade having two vertically spaced horizontally extending threaded openings between its ends, said pin having a threaded first portion adapted to be selectively threaded into either of said openings, said pin having a second cylindrical portion extending axially from said first portion, said second portion having a diameter greater than that of said first portion and cooperating with the aperture in said member to form a bearing whereby pivotal movement of said member with respect to said blade is permitted, and means for holding said member on said bearing.

6. The combination defined in claim '5 in which said threaded openings are located substantially midway between the ends of said blade.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,084,902 6/ 1937 Eisenberg 273-192 2,587,142 2/1952 Gray et al. 46-221 X 3,120,719 2/1964 Sirrionds 46-221 X References Cited by the Applicant 2,084,901 6/1937 Eisenberg.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

G. J. MARLO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A GOLF CLUB HAVING A BLADE, A HORIZONTAL ELONGATED MEMBER EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND CONTIGUOUS TO SAID BLADE, A HORIZONTAL SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH AND BEYOND OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID ELONGATED MEMBER, SAID SHAFT BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID MEMBER, A SUPPORTING WHEEL ON AND AT EACH END OF SAID SHAFT, SAID BLADE AND SAID MEMBER EACH HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING CYLINDRICAL APERTURE BETWEEN ITS ENDS, MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID MEMBER TO SAID BLADE COMPRISING A PIN PASSING THROUGH THE APERTURE IN SAID MEMBER AND HAVING A FIRST PORTION REMOVABLY SECURED IN THE APERTURE IN SAID BLADE, SAID PIN HAVING A SECOND CYLINDRICAL PORTION EXTENDING AXIALLY FROM SAID FIRST PORTION, SAID SECOND PORTION HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THAT OF SAID FIRST PORTION AND COOPERATING WITH THE APERTURE IN SAID MEMBER TO FORM A BEARING WHEREBY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID BLADE IS PERMITTED, AND MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID MEMBER ON SAID BEARING. 